Drafting boards



July 28, 1964 J. H. STROOP DRAFTING BOARDS Filed March 11, 1963 ATTORN Y United States Patent 3,142,129 DRAFTING BOARDS John H. Stroop, 61 Horatio St., New York, N.Y. Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,140 2 Claims. (Cl. 45-131) This invention pertains to drafting boards or tables which are now very extensively used by draftsmen and engineers for the preparation of drawings used in all types of manufacture and construction. Many instruments and tools are used by the person working on the drafting board, such as for example dravw'ng pens, divider, slide rule, decimal chart, erasing machine, board brush and the like. If these instruments and tools are scattered over the drafting surface, they interfere with the work being done and must be moved about to avoid T-squares, drafting machine elements, triangles and the like.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a raised instrument tray which I shall designate as an instrument palette. This device is so attached to the drafting board or table that it will not interfere with the usual adjusments of the drafting table, and it has the peculiar advantages of being spaced above the drafting surface by only a very short distance, such as one inch, and yet it does not interfere in the slightest with the free travel of the drafting machine or the motion of long T-squares which may in fact extend beyond the edge of the drafting surface.

The invention will be clearly understood by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the top of a drafting board in its usual inclined position equipped with the instrument palette of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation showing the angle fastening, which would usually be formed of aluminum, by which the palette is supported at a spaced distance above the drawing board at one end.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 1, a drafting board is mounted in an inclined position above -a deck or supporting base 11 which may have any suitable form.

Attached to the drafting board 10 at the right end is the instrument palette 12 of this invention, which may be rectangular in shape or preferably has a portion 13 which takes the form of a palette and extends over a larger area of the drawing board. The palette at its lower right-hand corner is firmly secured to the drawing board 10 by a bracket 15 which may conveniently be formed of aluminum or other metal and is aflixed to the drawing board on the underside near the corner by a screw 16. The bracket 15 also has a cantilever extension 17 which is fastened securely to the underside of the palette by screws 18, thereby supporting the palette at a short distance above and parallel to the drafting 3,142,129 Patented July 28, 1964 ice board. I prefer to have this spacing approximately one inch, and in order to avoid pressure on the outer end of the palette putting strain on the bracket and its fasten ings, a spacing block 19 is attached to the palette on its underside, as shown in dotted line in FIGURE 1.

Attention is particuarly directed to the fact that the bracket 15 is so formed as to constitute a cantilever sup port for the palette 12, and thereby the entire surface of the drawing board 10 is free for the use of T-squares which may have a long arm, even extending beyond the end of the drawing board. The usual drafting machine 20 is shown in FIGURE 1, and its arm 21 extends under the palette and may extend beyond the end of the drawing board without in any way interfering with the palette.

The outer surface of the palette is preferably provided with a friction surface such as for example by use of a foam rubber sheet so that drawing instruments and the like placed on the palette have no tendency to slide. Moreover, the palette preferably has guard edge strips 22 and 23 to prevent any of the instruments or tools mounted on the palette from being accidentally pushed over the edge.

The shape and spacing of the palette may be varied, and other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and only such modifications should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a drafting board with an instrument palette comprising a tray having an outer surface of friction material spaced a short distance above and extending over the drawing board near one end, and means for fastening the palette to the board without interfering with the free normal movement of a drafting machine or long T-square on the board.

2. The combination of a drafting board with an instrument palette extending over a portion of the drawing board and spaced a short distance above it and a cantilever bracket securely fastened to the board and providing a support for the instrument palette, said bracket being formed so as to leave a clear space at the end of the board and between the board and the palette whereby all interference with the normal operation of the drafting machine is avoided.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A DRAFTING BOARD WITH AN INSTRUMENT PALETTE COMPRISING A TRAY HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE OF FRICTION MATERIAL SPACED A SHORT DISTANCE ABOVE AND EXTENDING OVER THE DRAWING BOARD NEAR ONE END, AND MEANS FOR FASTENING THE PALETTE TO THE BOARD WITHOUT INTER- 